--- title: "Dozens of Boeing 737 Jets Grounded Because of “Cracks”" description: "Boeing admitted today that dozens of its third-generation 737 NG (\"Next Generation\") planes have been grounded by a number of airlines." date: "2019-10-31" modified: "2019-10-31" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/boeing-737-jets-grounded-cracks" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Boeing" - "Space" tags: - "air travel" - "airplanes" - "boeing" - "the digest" --- # Dozens of Boeing 737 Jets Grounded Because of “Cracks” ![Boeing admitted today that dozens of its third-generation 737 NG ("Next Generation") planes have been grounded by a number of airlines.]() *\Image: Mertie via Flickr/Victor Tangermann\* ## Cracks in the Fuselage As if dozens of deaths linked to [half-baked piloting software]() wasn't enough, more issues with aerospace giant Boeing's infamous 737 line up of commercial jets are popping up. Boeing [admitted today]() that dozens of its third-generation 737 NG ("Next Generation") planes have been grounded by a number of airlines, including Australian airline Qantas. The culprit: "cracks in the airframe," as the [*Sydney Morning Herald* reports](). ## Bad Timing The timing couldn't be worse for the aerospace company. Only yesterday, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg [received a grilling]() in front of a Congressional committee over mistakes his company made in relation to the 737 Max — the plane model that was involved in [two fatal crashes]() over the last twelve months, leading to 346 deaths. Boeing 737 Max planes have since [been grounded]() across the globe. Boeing's 737 NG — the one that's showing cracks — is the followup to its extremely popular 737 aircraft, and was succeeded by the 737 Max in 2016. ## Just a Scratch The seriousness of the cracks is up for debate. Qantas [noted to the *BBC*]() that "even when a crack is present, it does not immediately compromise the safety of the aircraft." "Even if the crack speared right through, the wing wouldn't fall off," aviation consultant Neil Hansford [told *ABC*](). Meanwhile, Boeing is desperate to pick itself up from the floor after taking a [$9.2 billion financial hit]() connected to the 737 Max disasters. "We would do it differently if we knew what we know today," Muilenburg [said]() during the testimony. "We have studied both crashes and we know what to fix." **READ MORE:** [Qantas grounds Boeing 737 plane due to 'cracking']() \[*BBC*\] **More on the planes:** *[Pilots Were Worried About Boeing 737 Max Before Deadly Crash]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()